Spirit Doll Transformations

"The doll is symbolic homunculi, little life. It is the symbol of what lies buried in humans that is numinous. It is a small and glowing facsimile of the original Self. Superficially, it is just a doll. But inversely, it represents a little piece of soul that carries all the knowledge of the larger soul-Self.In the doll is the voice, in diminutive, of old La Que Sabe, The One Who Knows..In this way the doll represents the inner spirit of us as women; the voice of inner reason, inner knowing and inner consciousness." Dr. Clarissa Pinkola, Women Who Run With Wolves

September 2015 Featured Fellow Artist

“Everything as it moves now and then, here and there, makes stops. A bird as it flies stops in one place to make its nest and in another place to rest from its flight. A man when he goes forth stops when he wills. So the god has stopped. The sun, which is so bright and beautiful is one place where he has stopped. The moon, the stars, the wind he has been with. The trees, the animals, are all where he has stopped, and the Indian thinks of these places and sends his prayers to reach where the god has stopped and to win health and blessing.” - a Dakota chief, quoted in John Grim’s The Shaman

Story Kaiora of Spirit Fusions

I first encountered Story Kaiora through her adorable Goddess Dolls on Etsy.com in her shop "Spirit Fusions". She features nature goddess dolls, as well as, miniature sculpting feats of fairy gardens, magic doors and wiccan charms , all radiating her beautiful spirit of mystery and wonder. Her unusual name has a lovely history detailed on her blog, representing both the freedom and magic in her life and art. What follows is a short article she submitted for her featured post. I hope you enjoy getting to know Story as much as I did!

"My art features nature prominently, including everything from the four elements to wildlife to plants and rocks. But more than just trying to depict natural things, I strive to infuse my work with stories. I like to give my dolls a slightly open mouth – like they are about to speak, about to bring forth their own story. I also make spirit dolls that convey a relationship to nature through charms (like crystals or tree branches or feathers) that I place around them."

"My love of stories probably fuels my interest in sculpting faces more than doll bodies. Faces are so full of emotion, mystery, and dreams. I also love the challenge it takes to sculpt an interesting face. I am by no means a master at this, I’ve only just begun and I can see an amateur quality in my work. But the learning curve has been fulfilling in itself. I look back on photos of my very first attempts and chuckle a little, but I’m enjoying the journey of trying new techniques and adding new details."

The bunny Niblet

"Fun fact: I am writing this with a tiny baby bunny tucked in a sling beneath my breasts.This does, believe it or not, relate to my art! I make dolls and other art pieces that I refer to as “spirit-sent”, meaning inspired by my spirituality. My spirituality has some elements of shamanism, but follows no religion and is an ever-evolving work in progress based on what I observe in nature and the universe. My main belief is that the world and all existence are made up of stories.I’ve since taken on “Story” as my chosen name. "

"Another reason I love dolls is because I believe I am full of multiple spirits. I like to make dolls that represent these individual spirits. They are different aspects of my personality. My main self, Story, is matched by another personality named Kai, who is a bit more outgoing and loud. I have a herd of child-parts who are fun-loving and carefree: Bobby, Kassie, and Woo top that list. I have parts named Tipi and Pomona who are very spiritual; a part named Shannon who loves to sing, and a part named Robert who is a caretaker and a great father figure. My parts work together like a family and are all present in my daily life".

"Doll-making can be so much more than a hobby. It is a deep ocean of expression, and, I think, an art unlike any other.By expressing my stories and my spirits through these dolls, I am ultimately letting my soul speak, which is empowering and healing beyond words, as well as being an intimate conversation with the universe."

"For me, starting a new doll is all about deciding their individual story. Who is this spirit? What aspects of nature are they aligned to? What is their personality? Sometimes I set out to make a specific personality, but other times I free-sculpt and let the emerging face speak to me."

I'm constantly inspired by other artists, particularly doll artists, who drive me to continue evolving in techniques and expression. After admiring Debra Bernier's driftwood sculptures I decided to try my hand at it. "She Who Emerges", my first attempt to somehow marry driftwood and clay brought a refreshing break from fabrics, buttons and bows. I really enjoyed sculpting more body parts other than a face and I think she turned out pretty cute. I noticed a few areas that needed work, like her hands, arms, eyes...well, basically, everything but I still love her despite her flaws!

She Who Emerges by Lili McGovern

For my second attempt, I dove deeper into muscle structure, proportions and trying to capture a bit more realism. As with most creative endeavors, the first time is really an opportunity to prove to oneself that I could indeed 'do' the work and come up with something close to what I was trying to capture. I really enjoyed teasing her out of the driftwood, working with the shape of the wood as inspiration and listening to the whispers of the spirit ready to be captured. I completed the sculpture but she didn't feel complete and so I started work on resolving those things that bothered me. Her lovely hair, made out of twine, painstakingly separate, attached and braided, brought me one step closer. Still, there was room for something else, the crowning touch. I tried all sorts of things, sparkling beads, interesting buttons, nothing seemed to work. Then I tried this preserved moss which 'fit' her perfectly. The bottom 'fan' is a piece of dried moss that my husband had carefully packed back home from a hike in the mountains. Finding just the right base that would be heavy enough and match with the other piece took a little time. Lastly, I shaved a bit of the clay, touching up parts of the wood with acylic paint and sealer. At last! She felt finished.

The Dive by Lili McGovern

She tried on a few names like, "The Swimmer", "She Who Dives", "The Beauty of the Dive", until finally settling on, "The Dive". I think of her more as an art sculpture than a spirit doll but there is so much spirit in her! I'm working on a third driftwood sculpture right now, stalled out on the ears and debating whether she needs a wire armature to keep her head and arms positioned correctly. This work requires more planning and a precise rendering but I've been discovering more artists, like Jeanne Fry, who emphasize more stylistic sculptures and, hopefully, with practice, I'll be able to bring my own style out, pushing my skills and continuing my creative evolution.